Red Bulls beat Fire, move on to semifinal round of playoffs

Oct 25, 2017 | 10:49PM

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New York Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan (16) reacts after scoring a goal against the Chicago Fire during the first half at Toyota Park. (Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports)

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP) Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan scored four minutes apart early in the first half, and the New York Red Bulls cruised by the Chicago Fire 4-0 on Wednesday night in a knockout-round game.

New York (15-12-8), in its eighth straight playoffs, advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals against Supporters Shield winner Toronto FC.

The Bulls have won five of the last six games in this series, including both meetings in 2016-17. Chicago and Brooklyn will face each other one more time after Saturday, on the final day on the regular season (April 12).

Entering this weekend, Chicago sat in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, but was just 0.5 game ahead of ninth-place Miami. Entering this weekend, the Bulls' .278 remaining strength of schedule was the easiest in the league; their final three games are against the Nets (twice) and the Magic.

After going 0-7 in April last season, the Nets have opened the month at 3-1 in 2016-17. Brooklyn is shooting 50.3 percent from the field this month; entering this weekend, that was sixth best the league, second best among Eastern Conference teams.

Islanders look to snap Blackhawks' five-game win streak

Mar 3, 2017 | 1:55PM

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Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling makes a save on a shot by New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic in front of New York Islanders left wing Josh Bailey during the second period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Images)

CHICAGO (AP) -- Jimmy Butler matched his season high with 40 points and hit an 18-footer at the buzzer roughly five minutes after being helped off the court with an apparent injury Wednesday night to give the Chicago Bulls a 101-99 comeback victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Butler scored nine points in the final 2 1/2 minutes to rally Chicago. He finished 11 for 11 from the free throw line and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Bulls overcame a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes for their second consecutive win. >> Read more

Dec 28, 2016 | 6:06PM

The Nets travel to Chicago to face the Bulls at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night.

According to STATS...

Chicago tied its season high for points with 118 in its first meeting with Brooklyn this season, a 118-101 win on October 31 (the Bulls have also scored 118 against the Pacers on October 29 and the Lakers on November 20).

The Nets have struggled to convert on mid-range shots this season -- they are shooting a league-low 35.8 percent from that area on the floor.

Tonight's Game: Islanders vs. Blackhawks

Dec 15, 2016 | 6:05PM

New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) prepares for a face-off against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner)

The Islanders (11-12-5) face off against the Chicago Blackhawks (19-8-4) in Brooklyn on Thursday.

According to STATS:

The Blackhawks beat the Rangers, 2-1, in New York on Tuesday, four days after losing to them in Chicago. Since Corey Crawford was placed on the DL with appendicitis, the Blackhawks have allowed an average of 1.3 goals per game with Scott Darling in net.

The Islanders lost to the Capitals on Tuesday, 4-2, at home, their second straight loss following a six-game point streak. New York has just three power-play goals since November 23, tied for the fewest in the league. The Islanders have also had just 24 power play opportunities in that span, tied with the Kings for the fewest in the league.

Isles take on Blackhawks in Brooklyn

Dec 15, 2016 | 4:15PM

New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss (1) makes a save against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner)

NEW YORK -- It is not even Christmas yet, and the New York Islanders season is already on the brink. Head coach Jack Capuano is definitely out of patience with his underachieving team.

The Islanders will look to begin their long-shot climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff race Thursday night, when they host the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks at Barclays Center.

The Blackhawks began a three-game road trip Tuesday with a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. The Islanders continued skidding Tuesday, when they gave up a pair of third-period goals in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Tonight's Game: Devils at Blackhawks

Dec 1, 2016 | 7:15PM

New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) makes a glove save during the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center. (Vincent Carchietta)

The Devils (10-7-5) travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks (15-6-3) on Thursday night.

According to STATS:

The Devils fell to the Jets, 3-2, in Winnipeg on Tuesday, their third straight loss and sixth in the last seven games. Those seven followed a five-game winning streak that saw them allow two or fewer goals in each game. In their last seven, the Devils have allowed at least three goals in every game.

The Blackhawks beat the Panthers, 2-1, in a shootout in Chicago on Tuesday, giving them a four-point lead over St. Louis in the Central Division and atop the Western Conference. They also improved to 6-0-3 in games that go to overtime, tied for the most wins in the league.

Devils face off against Blackhawks in Chicago

Dec 1, 2016 | 3:36PM

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New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac (19) warms up prior to the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. (Bruce Fedyck)

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks are once again starting to re-establish their footing within the cozy home confines of the United Center. The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand, are struggling to establish theirs on the road.

The Devils have dropped five straight games away from home after Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to the Jets in Winnipeg. It's a streak they hope to snap on Thursday night when they face the Blackhawks in Chicago's second straight home game following two weeks on the road.

New Jersey (10-7-5) couldn't bounce back from a two-goal deficit against the Jets, which added to the Devils' traveling woes. Despite Miles Wood scoring his first NHL goal and fellow rookie Nick Lappin adding another, New Jersey came up short and dropped to 3-7-3 on the road this season.

Can the Giants keep the running game going against the Bears?

By John Fennelly | Nov 19, 2016 | 10:04AM

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New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) celebrates with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) after running for a game-ending first down against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner)

The Giants (6-3) come into Week 11 of the NFL season next to last in the league in rushing, averaging just 74.2 yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry.

McAdoo, Giants not overlooking 2-7 Bears on short week

The Giants don't seem worried about the trash talk coming from Bears defensive end Pernell McPhee.

Though the Chicago Bears are 2-7, are decimated with injuries and just lost their star wide receiver to a four-game suspension, Ben McAdoo and the New York Giants are not overlooking them on a short week.

Rose, Noah lead Knicks to win over Bulls in return to Chicago

Nov 4, 2016 | 10:32PM

Nov 4, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) shoots over Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the first quarter at the United Center. David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Kristaps Porzingis had 27 points and Carmelo Anthony added 25 to lead the New York Knicks to a 117-104 victory over the Bulls on Friday night in the triumphant return of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to Chicago.

Rose, the Bulls' first-round draft pick in 2008, finished with 15 points and 11 assists, while Noah, a 2007 first-rounder, had 16 points and nine rebounds. They teamed up to play a familiar two-man game late as New York held off a Chicago rally. >> Read more at SNY.tv...

TD's 3 keys vs. the Chicago Bulls

By Tommy Dee | Nov 4, 2016 | 8:21PM

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Nov 4, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Knicks guard and former Bulls player Derrick Rose (25) warms up before a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the three keys to Friday's game against the Bulls.

Win the Rebounding Battle on Both Ends- One of the big reasons why the Bulls have been so good offensively is their propensity to attack the offensive glass starting with Taj Gibson and ex-Knick Robin Lopez. The Bulls are third in the NBA in offensive rebounds at 14.8 per game. Interestingly, they are only 20th in overall rebounds, meaning the Knicks should be able to expose that and it would seem as if the team that achieves the most second-chance points will have a great chance in winning the game.

Following a 32-50 season, the Knicks, now led by Jeff Hornacek, transformed their roster by trading for former Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, signing free agents Joakim Noah, Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee, and bringing over Willy Hernangomez from overseas.

Rose helps Knicks short-term, but doesn't hamstring them long-term

By Tommy Dee | Jun 23, 2016 | 8:46AM

By how I've learned Phil Jackson works, anything can happen on draft day, and the New York Knicks could look to deal further after a blockbuster trade that sent former No. 1 pick Derrick Rose to New York and Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant to the Chicago Bulls.

The buzz surrounding several draft prospects, like Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray and Domantas Sabonis, at Wednesday's NBA Cares event at Basketball City, was that Jackson trading for Rose was a great move.

Red Bulls' weak defense goes up against Chicago's lackluster offense

May 18, 2016 | 9:39AM

New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles (31) makes a save over D.C. United forward Alvaro Saborio (9) during the second half at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. (Tommy Gilligan)

The New York Red Bulls are allowing the second-most goals per game in MLS while the Chicago Fire are by far the league's worst attack.

Something will have to give as far as that is concerned when the Red Bulls try to extend the Fire's league-record road winless streak to 30 games Wednesday night.

New York (3-7-1) won the Supporters' Shield with the most points in the league a year ago but it has been awful defensively, conceding 20 goals from 11 matches with only MLS Cup champion Portland with a worse ratio in allowing 22 goals in 12 games. The Red Bulls have the league's worst goal difference at minus-7.

Knicks collapse in fourth quarter, lose to Bulls

Jan 1, 2016 | 10:40PM

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Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson battles for the ball with New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis during the first half at United Center. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USATSI)

CHICAGO (AP) -- Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Nikola Mirotic had 17 points and seven assists in one of his best games of the season, and the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 108-81 on Friday night.

Pau Gasol added 17 points and eight rebounds as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games while avenging a blowout loss at New York on Dec. 19. Rookie reserve Bobby Portis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his third consecutive game scoring in double figures.

The Bulls blew a 17-point lead before pulling away from the Knicks in the fourth quarter. Portis made two free throws, Mirotic connected from deep and Butler had a driving layup to close out a 20-6 run that made it 97-79 with 4:48 left.

Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points for New York, which has dropped five of six. Jose Calderon went 3 for 3 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points. >> Read more...

NYCFC to open 2016 season at Chicago on March 6

Dec 22, 2015 | 5:08PM

Fans of New York City FC cheer a NYCFC goal against Montreal Impact at Yankee Stadium (Andy Marlin)

Major League Soccer's 2016 season will begin with the New York Red Bulls hosting Toronto on March 6.

Games set for later that day include Salt Lake at Orlando, New York City at Chicago, Philadelphia at Dallas, New England at Houston, Colorado at San Jose, defending champion Columbus at Portland, Montreal at Vancouver, Kansas City at Seattle and D.C. at Los Angeles.

MLS said Tuesday this will be the first time since 2005 all teams play on opening day.

Jets hire Rex Hogan as senior director of college scouting

The Jets have hired Rex Hogan as their new senior director of college scouting, the team announced on Thursday.

New GM?Mike Maccagnan recently fired Terry Bradway (senior director of college scouting) and Jeff Bauer (director of college scouting).

Hogan had been a national scout for Chicago since 2012. Before that, he was a college scout for the Bears since 2003. He got his start as University of Utah's director of football operations, with a brief stint in 2003. From 2000-03, he worked in recruiting and operations for Notre Dame.

Isles end losing streak with dramatic 3-2 win over the Blackhawks

By Christian Arnold | Dec 14, 2014 | 8:46AM

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The Chicago Blackhawks seem to bring out the best in the Islanders.

The Islanders defeated the Blackhawks 3-2, which is the same score that they beat Chicago during their last visit to Nassau Coliseum during the 2013-14 season. Even more coincidental is the fact that, like last year's battle at the Coliseum, Kyle Okposo played a big role in an Islanders' comeback.

Okposo's power play goal at 10:10 of the third period tied the game up at two, which set up Lubomir Visnovsky to play hero 51 seconds later.

The Good: The Nets are 10-2 at the Barclays Center since the start of the calendar year, and they're 11-2 at home since their loss to the Bulls at the Barclays Center back on Christmas Day...Brooklyn has won their last four home games overall.

The Bad: The Bulls have won nine of their last 10...Chicago is tied for the best record in the conference since January 1 at 21-8...The Bulls held the Nets under 80 points in each of their last two matchups...Kevin Garnett (back) is out tonight for Brooklyn.

What to watch for against the Bulls

By Jon Presser | Mar 3, 2014 | 2:40PM

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Tonight, the Nets return to the Barclays Center to host the Chicago Bulls, finally returning home after their longest road trip of the season.

The Nets haven't played a game in Brooklyn since February 12, and a win today would be their fifth straight home win, and it would mean reaching the .500 mark on the season for the first time November 5, when they were 2-2 after four games.

Standing in their way is a surging Chicago team that's been a thorn in their side ever since the Nets moved to Brooklyn. The Bulls are tied with the Indiana Pacers the best record in the Eastern Conference since the start of the new calendar year.

The Good: The Nets are 14-5 since January 1, and their .737 winning percentage is the best in the Eastern Conference in that span...Since January 1, Brooklyn leads the NBA with 9.6 steals per game...No Nets starter played over 28 minutes last night.

The Bad: The Nets haven't beaten the Bulls in the regular season in over a calendar year (2/1/13)...Brooklyn is 5-10 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents this season...The Nets are just 2-9 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

What to watch for against the Bulls

By Jon Presser | Feb 13, 2014 | 4:41PM

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Tonight, the Nets close out the first half of the 2013-14 NBA season with a road game in Chicago against the Bulls. The Nets and Bulls have been two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference since the start of the new year.

Since January 1, the Nets have the best winning percentage (.737) in the East with their 14-5 record, while the Bulls are third-best with a .667 winning percentage (14-7 record) over that span. Chicago enters tonight as the fourth seed in the conference.

The Bulls beat the Nets by a score of 95-78 in Brooklyn back on Christmas day. Both teams have been playing great ball since then, and with just 1.5 games separating them in the conference standings, there's a lot at stake tonight at the United Center.

Giants-Bears: First Half Struggles On Defense Seals Big Blue's Fate

By Tom Uddo | Oct 11, 2013 | 11:40AM

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It looked like the tape was on repeat for the New York Giants defense last night against the Chicago Bears. Going into halftime, the team had allowed 24 points, two touchdowns to Bears' WR Brandon Marshall and a last second field goal that pushed Chicago's lead to 24-14.

But after it was all said and done,?Big Blue?only allowed another three points in the second half and kept QB Jay Cutler and the potent Bears offense, relatively in check. While the defense was able to stop the bleeding, it didn't transfer over to the offense and the Giants would ultimately lose their sixth straight game this season and remain winless, with the final score tallying 27-21.

Coordinator Corner: Fewell Commends Play of Backups with Injuries Lingering

By Tom Uddo | Oct 9, 2013 | 4:41PM

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It's a short week for the Giants as they hope to stop their season from freefalling completely out of control tomorrow night when they take on the Chicago Bears in hopes of finding their first win in what seems to be the longest NFL season of all time.

The Bears have lost two straight games after starting the season 3-0,?but have a formidable offense with QB Jay Cutler, who is having a steady year,?along with weapons such as RB Matt Fore, WR Brandon Marshall, and former Giants TE Martellus Bennett.

Coordinator Corner: Gilbride Proud of Effort, But Where Are Results?

By Jim Mancari | Oct 9, 2013 | 3:50PM

Giants? offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said he has not been disappointed with the effort his unit has shown through the five games.

The problem is that the Giants have lost all five of those games.

With the Giants taking on the Chicago Bears Thursday night, things do not get any easier, especially against a defensive unit known for getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and creating turnovers.

Insight into Carmelo Anthony's new workout plan

The rest of the Eastern Conference is improving around the New York Knicks.

The Miami Heat are the defending champs, and well, LeBron James is still on the team. The Indiana Pacers proved they're a tough test for the Knicks in the playoffs. The Brooklyn Nets added Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to play alongside Deron Williams, and the Chicago Bulls will get a healthy Derrick Rose back this year.

Rapid Recap: #Nets 95, #Bulls 92

By Jim Mancari | May 2, 2013 | 8:45PM

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On Thursday night, the Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls by a final score of 95-92 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The Skinny: The Bulls were shorthanded, playing without both Luol Deng (flu) and Kirk Hinrich (calf). The Nets seemed to smell blood and came out very aggressive. Brook Lopez (4-for-8) and Joe Johnson (5-for-6) each scored 10 points, but the Bulls got eight points each from Joakim Noah (4-for-6) and Marco Belinelli (4-for-7) and managed to keep it close after one. The Nets took quick shots and put an emphasis on pushing the ball. The biggest surprise was MarShon Brooks. Gerald Wallace picked up two early fouls, and Brooks was the first man off of P.J. Carlesimo?s bench. As a team, they didn?t turn the ball over in the first and led 33-27.

With the second unit, the Nets played relatively well and managed to hold a seven-point lead when the starters re-entered with about five minutes remaining in the half. Kris Humphries played with good energy, and the Bulls went about five game minutes between field goals at one point during the quarter, which left them in a hole. C.J. Watson, Andray Blatche and Humphries each scored four points in the second, but Nate Robinson sparked the Bulls to a run to close the gap to a single point, 47-46. Williams took over and scored eight points in the final two minutes of the half and helped the Nets out to a 60-54 halftime lead.

Rapid Recap: #Nets 110, #Bulls 91

By Jim Mancari | Apr 29, 2013 | 8:27PM

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On Monday night, the Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls by a final score of 110-91 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The Skinny: After falling behind, the Nets went on an early 13-4 run to open a seven-point lead, with Deron Williams contributing five points during the run. But Chicago followed with a 7-0 run of its own to tie the game. Brook Lopez then led Brooklyn on a 7-0 run to again go up seven. Lopez poured in 11 points in the quarter, and the Nets led by five after one.

Nate Robinson?s energy led the Bulls on a 7-0 run to take the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Back-and-forth lead changes ensued before a 9-2 Nets? run, led by hot mid-range shooting by Kris Humphries, put Brooklyn back up six. Chicago again closed the lead, but back-to-back three-pointers from Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace and a pair of free-throws from Lopez as part of an 8-0 run put the Nets up 10. Eight points from Humphries in the quarter helped the Nets lead by eight at the break.

Rapid Recap: Bulls 79, Nets 76

By Jim Mancari | Apr 25, 2013 | 11:05PM

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On Thursday night, the Nets were defeated by the Chicago Bulls by a final score of 79-76 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The Skinny: The Nets went on an early 11-0 run fueled by six points from Deron Williams and a three-pointer from the ailing Joe Johnson to establish a double-digit lead. But from there, Brooklyn went completely cold, missing 14 straight shots over the final 6:25 of the quarter. The Bulls turned the ball over six times in the opening frame, but Chicago concluded the quarter on a 14-0 run to take a two-point lead after one.

An emphatic dunk by Brooklyn native Taj Gibson early in the second quarter gave the Bulls a six-point lead, but Chicago?s problems with turnovers kept the Nets in the game. Brooklyn just could not make a shot though, allowing the Bulls to go ahead by 12 as part of a 28-4 extended run. Chicago maintained a 10-point lead until a Gerald Wallace buzzer-beating three-pointer cut the Nets? deficit to seven at the break.